Dengue vaccine tested in PH may soon be released globally

[Terpe]

The Philippines is one of the many testing sites all over world for a vaccine that aims to prevent dengue.

Sanofi-Pasteur, a leading global vaccine company, announces it is already in the final stage in developing the anti-dengue vaccine.

"We're currently having efficacy trials with over 30,000 volunteers both in Asia, including the Philippines, and Latin America. We expect the end of these efficacy trials by the end of next year,” said Dr. Melanie Saville, chief medical officer, dengue vaccine.

The company aims in coming up with a vaccine that will counter all four sero-types of dengue virus that is prevalent in the Philippines and neighboring countries.

“The vaccine has been designed to be used in three doses: 1 dose today, then 6 months later the second, then 6 months later the third,” said Guillaume Leroy, vice-president and dengue vaccine head.

Worldwide, dengue hits nearly 400 million people every year.

In the Philippines, more than 190 patients have died during the first half of 2013.

With the expected surge in demand, Sanofi-Pasteur assures ABS-CBN that the Philippines will be in the priority list when the vaccine becomes available.

“Philippines has been committed to the development of the vaccine so we will be addressing the demand in the Philippines as a priority,” said Leroy.

Concerns have been raised about the possibility of a new strain of dengue virus emerging even before the anti-dengue vaccine is commercially released.

“I think that’s unlikely. Dengue is a relatively stable vaccine, it’s not quite the same situation with influenza,” said Saville.

In the meantime, while the efficacy trial is still ongoing, medical experts advise the Philippines to continue the campaign against the dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

“Do mosquito control. And while the mosquito control methods are not perfect, they still do work,” said Prof. Duane Gubler of the Program on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.

Aside from the Philippines, dengue cases also abound in Thailand and Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia as well as Latin America.

Source:-
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/focus/07/...eased-globally

[Doc Alan]

May I suggest you also look at # 55 and 56 in this thread (
http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....ngue-Fever-Map
) .


Even the " efficacy " trials of the Sanofi-Pasteur vaccine will not be completed until the end of 2014.


The main reason a vaccine is not yet available for dengue is " immunobiology " – there are 4 main dengue virus (sero)types. If any one of these has been absent for a while and reappears, it may produce an epidemic because there is little immunity and increased risk of severe dengue illness. There have been many setbacks in vaccine development.
( http://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...510-4/fulltext
).



Much remains to be done before an effective vaccine is available. Specific drugs and better diagnostic methods are also needed. For the foreseeable future, avoiding mosquito bites; use of insect repellents ( containing DEET, although there is increasing insect tolerance ) ; targeting mosquito breeding sites : and use of chemicals to kill larvae / adults ( aerosols ) are the best hope of controlling this infectious disease of truly enormous proportions.


The actual number of infections is not known – World Health Organisation’s estimate of 50 – 100 million / year is probably closer than the " nearly 400m " quoted. Other factors in the increasing numbers of cases are a tendency for the culprit mosquitoes to bite at night as well as by day, and climate change. It has recently encroached on Europe ( Croatia, France and Madeira ). Infections in travellers returning to UK are probably now in the hundreds each year.



Chikungunya, an infection resembling dengue but less severe, and with no vaccine or specific treatment ( yet ), is also increasingly recognised ( see this Health Issues section ).